AdSGuest

You can use sea water, just collect away from any drains and sewage pipes as well as heavy populated areas. You can use for water changes as well, but not for evaporation top ups. That is done with reverse osmosis water (RO) with a TDS of 0-5. Remember, only the water evaporates, not the salt

Some tips for newbies:1.Evaporation top-ups are done with RO water only, not saltwater2.Please don't keep tangs in a nano - they need lots of swimming space3.Anemones need mature tanks to thrive and clown fish don't need anemones to survive4. "Dilution is the solution to polution" - Anthony Calfo

Nothing wrong with using sea water from the sea - provided its taken from a clean beach. Its best to use it immediatly but it can be used later if stored for a few weeks.
I see you in Brakpan, how you getting sea water there?

You do not top up with salt water. Over time this will raise your tanks salinity. You should top up with RO water.

We do frequent trips to Natal. Collect water before we leave and run though air-pumps while traveling to we can get to a quarantine tank to mature.

Click to expand...

I'm a little confused about the above statement. Water does not mature and in fact all that natural sea water does is get worse the longer you leave it. All the micro organisms soon die in the sea water and pollute it. Thats why it is best used immediately.

I'm a little confused about the above statement. Water does not mature and in fact all that natural sea water does is get worse the longer you leave it. All the micro organisms soon die in the sea water and pollute it. Thats why it is best used immediately.

Click to expand...

Good advise Manic

I am here to learn about patience and I only trust those who can walk on water.........

I don't think this is necessarily what marsbrat is talking about - but I'd like to add that you can actually improve water quality on collected NSW by storing it.

For example, I store my collected NSW in a white bucket on my balcony. If its there for about a week, a film of algae grows on the inside of the bucket. If i do the water change without removing the algae, that algae has acted to export nutrients that were in the tank. Of course, this nutrient export must be balanced with the die-off that manic is speaking about.

I've read some thread where guys with big tanks that use NSW actually "prep" their water in this manner. Interesting way to deal with NSW that has excess nutrients etc.

I don't think this is necessarily what marsbrat is talking about - but I'd like to add that you can actually improve water quality on collected NSW by storing it.

For example, I store my collected NSW in a white bucket on my balcony. If its there for about a week, a film of algae grows on the inside of the bucket. If i do the water change without removing the algae, that algae has acted to export nutrients that were in the tank. Of course, this nutrient export must be balanced with the die-off that manic is speaking about.

I've read some thread where guys with big tanks that use NSW actually "prep" their water in this manner. Interesting way to deal with NSW that has excess nutrients etc.

Click to expand...

The problem with this is that the algae may remove vital elements in the water such as iron which in the long run may cause element deficiencies in your tank.